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Kerry Hits It Home

By Michael A. Cohen August 28, 2008 2:03 pmAugust 28, 2008 2:03 pm

Michael A. Cohen is a senior research fellow at the New America Foundation and the author of “Live From the Campaign Trail: The Greatest Presidential Campaign Speeches of the 20th Century and How They Shaped Modern America.” (Full biography.)

DENVER — No one likes a political loser, especially when they are defeated in a presidential election. And no party seems to cast aside those who fail at the ballot box as quickly and as ruthlessly as the Democratic Party. After his ignominious defeat under a mountain of negative attacks in 1988, Michael Dukakis quickly became persona non grata among Democrats; after being defeated by George Bush in 2000, Al Gore wandered in the wilderness for years; and since losing in 2004, John Kerry has consistently and often unfairly taken abuse from all corners.

But last night, Mr. Kerry earned a healthy dose of political redemption delivering possibly the best non-acceptance speech at a Democratic convention since Mario Cuomo and Jesse Jackson wowed the crowd in San Francisco more than two decades ago. Mr. Kerry demonstrated a passion and intensity that he rarely showed on the campaign trail in 2004. In doing so, he not only brought the partisan crowd in Denver to a fever pitch, but he became the first Democratic politician in recent memory to so openly and courageously defend the often maligned patriotism of his party.

Mr. Kerry offered righteous indignation to the partisan crowd, as he excoriated George Bush and the Republican Party, particularly for its conduct of American foreign policy:

Never in modern history has an administration squandered American power so recklessly. Never has strategy been so replaced by ideology. Never has extremism so crowded out common sense and fundamental American values. Never has short-term partisan politics so depleted the strength of America’s bipartisan foreign policy.

But beyond attacking the Bush administration, Mr. Kerry provided voters with the most direct and sustained attack against John McCain heard this week in Denver. Even after praising Mr. McCain as a friend of 22 years, Mr. Kerry went after his colleague — and a man who he supposedly offered the vice presidential slot to in 2004 — in an unusually personal and stinging attack:

To those who still believe in the myth of a maverick instead of the reality of a politician, I say, let’s compare Senator McCain to candidate McCain. Candidate McCain now supports the wartime tax cuts that Senator McCain once denounced as immoral. Candidate McCain criticizes Senator McCain’s own climate change bill. Candidate McCain says he would now vote against the immigration bill that Senator McCain wrote. Are you kidding? Talk about being for it before you’re against it.

The Democrats in Denver have seemed resistant to go after John McCain’s changed positions on a number of key issues. John Kerry felt no such reticence on Wednesday night, and one can imagine that he took enormous satisfaction, and even revenge, in evoking the words that doomed his presidential bid four years ago.

Now, if Mr. Kerry had stopped there this would have been an effective partisan speech — memorable in the moment but likely soon forgotten. But what John Kerry said at the end of his remarks took a very good speech into the pantheon of great speeches.

For more than two generations, one of the dominant narratives in American politics has been the notion of Democratic “weakness” on foreign policy. Democrats, the stereotype goes, do not love their country; they are not patriotic, they are as Jeane Kirkpatrick famously declared at the G.O.P. convention in 1984, blame America-firsters. And for years, Democrats have struggled to fight back; often choosing political artifice over impassioned persuasion. But, last night in Denver, John Kerry fought back:

How insulting to suggest that those who question the mission, question the troops. How pathetic to suggest that those who question a failed policy, doubt America itself. How desperate to tell the son of a single mother who chose community service over money and privilege that he doesn’t put America first.

Pathetic, insulting and desperate are not the words that Democrats frequently use on the campaign trail and particularly not in the context of national security. As for the idea that community service belongs in the same lexicon as military service … well that’s something you are even less likely to hear.

Nearly 56 years after Adlai Stevenson stirringly told the America Legion that “patriotism is not the fear of something; it is the love of something,” John Kerry took a similar approach, declaring: “Patriotism is not love of power or some cheap trick to win votes; patriotism is love of country.”

And instead of hiding behind showy displays of patriotic symbolism, Mr. Kerry offered a full-throated defense of the idea that dissent is as pure a form of patriotism as any that exists in a democratic society:

Years ago when we protested a war, people would weigh in against us saying, ‘My country right or wrong.’ Our answer? Absolutely, my country right or wrong. When right, keep it right. When wrong, make it right. Sometimes loving your country demands you must tell the truth to power.

Whether one is a Democrat or Republican, these are the types of words that need to be heard on the campaign trail. In recent years, the patriotism of Democratic candidates has been all too regularly questioned; and the very notion of dissent scoffed at by some as un-American. This is no way to have a debate about national security or, for that matter, elect a president, and John Kerry, who regularly saw his patriotism laid out for scrutiny, knows all too well the damage that such attacks can have on not only one’s political future but the national discourse.

His words last night were long overdue — some Democrats would say four years overdue — but better late than never. For John Kerry it was likely a bittersweet moment, but perhaps now Democrats will again embrace their past standard bearer.

Thank you, Mr. Cohen, thank you. I have been waiting to hear the media commentators praise Mr. Kerry to the skies for his speech but very few have mentioned it. It was indeed a wonderful speech–laying out the differences between senator McCain and candidaate McCain, but especially his definitions of patriotism. The speech made me cry. I hope Sen. Kerry is campaigning in the hustings for Obama.

Excellent piece. I felt that Kerry hit it out of the park last night. I re-viewed the speech tonight and felt the same way. Let us hope that this is just the first of many empassioned speeches that hold Bush, Cheney, Rove, McCain, and the entire administration to task for the unfathomable damage they did to our country over the past eight years. If we can fight this hard for the next few months, I suspect that we can win in November.

Thanks for giving Kerry’s magnificent speech the attention it deserved, while the rest of the media seem to have overlooked it amid the Clinton drama yesterday. I’m grateful that Kerry had the chance to really fight back (as he should have done more of in 2004) last night. And what a speech he gave–it’s the best attack on the Bush administration and McCain’s campaign that I’ve heard yet. (I hope Obama can find a similarly effective attack tonight on the economy.)

If you weren’t watching you indeed missed one of the greatest speeches of this or any recent convention. It brought tears to my eyes and made me very proud to be a Democrat and very proud of John Kerry for reminding all of us what that means.

One of the channels I was watching didn’t include all of Senator Kerry’s speach. The news people thought that their commentary was more interesting. Fortunately, went to the channel without commercials to watch most of his terrific speach.

Excellent speech by Mr. Kerry and excellent comments by Mr. Cohen. I agree that Democrats should be more vocal and agressive about constant sladering of their patriotism by Republicans. The fear tactics used by Republicans need to come to an end. All they do is question their opponents’ patriotism, and scare people.

This is absolutely the tone that Democrats need to take with this looming election. No longer can we allow the Republicans to paint us as ‘unpatriotic’ or weak. It is Us that care deeply enough about the country to want to change things when they are going badly!

Oh, how I longed to hear that fire from Kerry years ago. I always knew it was there. Our country would have been so much better off. That said, again as in the article, I too am happy for Kerry and hope his contributions are widely recognized and taken to heart.

THANK YOU for commenting on Kerry’s speech! I saw it last night and was shocked when commentators not only discussed the Clinton and Biden speeches, but also took time to discuss BEAU Biden’s speech and simply ignored Kerry….and I couldn’t understand why. I thought is was EXCELLENT.

Bravo Kerry! The Press, especially television, drives me crazy!!! Not ONE mention or review of Kerry’s speech last night and I was flipping channels. Did I miss a mention? Well, maybe one. In referring to last night it was always Clinton/Biden. Never Biden/Clinton.
What is scary is how much a little enuendo can sway people’s minds without them knowing it. Like continually repeating over and over that Obama “can’t close the deal.” “Hillary women won’t vote for Obama,” etc etc. Uuuuuh, I think they call that ‘brainwashing.’
Bravo Kerry !!! I hope what he said in his speech gets repeated often. He was right on and should be thanked for it.

ARE THERE any other countries where you have to out england or out brazil or out japan your opponent?? strange part of american culture where you have to show you love your country more than your opponent……

Since George H.W. Bush ran the dirty campaign against Michael Dukakis with lies and smears about Mrs. Dukakis and calling the Governor a “card-carrying member of the ACLU,” I have felt mystified why the Democrats could not respond in this way that finally Kerry has.

I think it is because the Republicans have the capacity to astound with the grandness and gall of their wicked attacks. Democrats are continually surprised by what they think up next.

I have been perplexed by the Democrats and the media for not holding McCain accountable for failing to live up to his own professed standards. As a candidate he is doing what he found most reprehensible as a POW: putting self before country for personal gain. I have that sense that he will do whatever the Republican power structure requires of him. He is not leading his party,; he is once again foot soldiering other’s values and ideas. Thank you, John Kerry for calling it as it is. Thank you, Michael Cohen for giving Kerry’s speech the attention it deserves.

My roommates and I worried when we realized Kerry had been slotted after his His Highness, Bill Clinton. Boy, we didn’t give him enough credit. I’ve never seen John Kerry so passionate. I only wish that passion had shown itself four years ago. It was an amazing. I’d say it was the best speech of Day 3.

John Kerry, if you’re hearing these comments, please accept my thanks and admiration for your words last night. We in the democratic party have a deep back bench — watching Al Gore tonight and hearing you last night made me proud to be a democrat.

About four years too late. Was a good speech though although surely someone can up with a new phrase other than the incredibly tired “speak truth to power.” People say that now when they give the supermarket attendant a tongue lashing.

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